Fuel dispensing systems used at retail gas stations typically include an underground storage tank containing gasoline, diesel fuel, or other liquid fuel, an above-ground dispensing unit terminating in a nozzle adapted to supply the fuel to a motor vehicle, and a piping system interconnecting the underground storage tank and dispensing unit. As fuel is dispensed to motor vehicles, it becomes necessary to refill or re-supply the underground storage tank with fuel. To this end, the underground storage tank includes a riser pipe having a distal end in communication with the storage tank and a proximal end adjacent the surface of the ground. The proximal end of the riser pipe includes known structure for coupling with an end of a supply hose coupled to a tanker truck carrying a supply of fuel. Fuel from the tanker truck is then permitted to flow through the supply hose, through the riser pipe, and into the storage tank so as to refill the storage tank with fuel.
During such fill operations, it is not uncommon for fuel to spill from, for example, the supply hose and/or the riser pipe in the area immediately adjacent the proximal end of the riser pipe. To prevent the spilled fuel from leaking into the environment around the fuel dispensing system, a spill container, commonly referred to as a spill bucket, may be disposed about the proximal end of the riser pipe. The spill bucket is adapted to contain any spilled fuel from such a fill operation and direct the fuel to the storage tank.
Conventional spill buckets typically include a containment housing having a distal end coupled to the proximal end riser pipe in a fluid tight manner. A proximal end of the containment housing is adjacent the surface of the ground and includes a removable cover for accessing the proximal end of the riser pipe during a fill operation. The distal end of the containment housing typically includes a drain that provides selective fluid communication between an interior cavity of the containment housing and the storage tank. In this way, fuel that inadvertently spills during a fill operation is collected in the interior cavity of the containment housing and directed to the storage tank by actuation of the drain.
While such spill buckets are generally effective for containing inadvertent fuel spillage during fill operations, manufacturers continually strive to provide improved components of a fuel dispensing system. Thus, manufacturers strive to provide components that are relatively easy to install during, for example, an initial installation, or during a repair or replacement process. By way of example, repair and/or replacement of a conventional spill bucket is typically difficult, time consuming and labor intensive.
In addition, many state and/or federal regulations are requiring redundancy in hazardous material handling systems, including fuel dispensing systems. Many spill bucket designs, however, only provide for a single containment housing. Existing spill bucket designs having a double-walled structure that provide containment redundancy suffer from the same shortcomings as described above, i.e., repair and/or replacement is typically difficult, time consuming, and labor intensive.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spill containment apparatus that provides for improved installation and/or containment redundancy such that personnel may make timely replacements, repairs, or perform other maintenance in a simplified, cost effective, time-efficient, and labor-efficient manner.